Ideas Made Real

09/08/2026

A day of firsts: On September 8, 1945, Bess Meyerson became the first Jewish woman to win the Miss America pageant.

Also on this day, in 1966, “Star Trek” was aired by NBC. It almost didn’t see the light of day. But the head of a production studio, the first woman to fill that role, saw its potential and, against the advice of her board of directors, went to bat for the show, approving and funding the second pilot.

“I listen to what my manager suggests,” singer Abbey Lincoln famously said, “and then I walk the other way.”

Today’s Challenges:

1. Who was the woman responsible for giving “Star Trek” the green light?

2. When has it helped you to follow advice, and when have you done better ignoring it?

“The music of the people,” said composer Antonin Dvorak, also born on this day, “is like a rare and lovely flower growing amidst encroaching weeds. Thousands pass it, while others trample it underfoot, and thus the chances are that it will perish before it is seen by the one discriminating spirit who will prize it before all else. The fact that no one has as yet arisen to make the most of it does not prove that nothing is there.”

3. Was there someone who saw your potential when no one else did? And is there someone you believed in when others didn’t?

09/07/2026

The office is closed for Labor Day, but here's a favorite story from our archives. See you tomorrow!

No, he explained patiently, he wanted to be Laurence Olivier.

01/02/2026

January 1, 1892 saw the opening of the Ellis Island Immigration Center in New York. People came from all over to start a new life in the United States. Some came from humble backgrounds, while others had had great wealth only to have to leave it behind as they fled persecution, or actually had it taken from them. But many flourished in their new surroundings and made great contributions to this country, as immigrants do to this day.

Today's Challenge: These days, when the subject of Ellis Island comes up, the talk usually turns to all the names that were changed there. Twelve million people passed through Ellis Island over the years. How many names do you think were changed at the Center?

As usual, skip the search engines for the answer and use your noodle. What do you think would be a likely percentage?

Leave your answer in the comments, or send an email to [email protected], then check back tomorrow for the answer.

Good luck!

09/25/2025

“I don't know exactly where ideas come from, but when I'm working well ideas just appear. I've heard other people say similar things—so it's one of the ways I know there's help and guidance out there. It's just a matter of our figuring out how to receive the ideas or information that are waiting to be heard.”

—Puppeteer, animator, actor, and filmmaker Jim Henson, born on this day.

09/17/2025

The next time you think a flight is taking an awfully long time, consider the lot of C. P. Rogers on the first transcontinental flight from New York City to Pasadena one September 17th, which took 82 hours.

What year was it? Sure, you could do a search. But use your noodle instead.

C. P. Rogers probably wasn’t thinking, “Oh, 82 hours! What a long time to be sitting on a plane!” Only later, when air travel evolved, was the time required dramatically reduced. He was probably just grateful he had the opportunity to take that flight.

Today’s challenges:

1. Is there something you do every day in your work that used to take a whole lot more time? Take a moment to relish the fact that you can now do it more quickly.

Conversely, is there anything you’ve been “speeding through” that you think would work better if you slowed things down?

2. Think of something you’ve been putting off doing because you know it will take some time—maybe not 82 hours, but not five minutes, either. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in that case. List the actions you’ll need to take to get it done, and estimate how much time each one will need. Then choose one to do by the end of the week.

09/01/2025

Labor Day already? Yes, indeed--and an excellent time to think about work. See you tomorrow!

No, he explained patiently, he wanted to be Laurence Olivier.

01/02/2025

“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned,” wrote E. M. Forster, born on this day, “so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”

In _This Is Not the Life I Ordered_, former member of Congress Jackie Speier, who had a life-altering experience at Jonestown, and three of her friends discuss coming to terms with the discrepancy between the life they had in mind and the one that unfolded before them.

Oliver Burkeman, author of _Meditations for Mortals_, says our attempt to “get it right this time” and do everything perfectly sets us up for failure and, in a way, inertia. https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101908305/author-oliver-burkeman-wants-you-to-embrace-imperfection

Instead, success comes when we take one simple action after another.

Today’s challenge: What’s one action you can take right now on something that’s really important to you?

Need help? Visit https://ideasmadereal.com/services/coaching/ and call us at
415/796-3969 or send a text to 415/596-4244. We’ve helped lots of people take action on the things that most matter to them, and look forward to helping you.

“What happens in a coaching session? How long are the sessions?” The initial session focuses on what’s most important to you (your reasons for being in business/changing careers, your g…

09/03/2024

The office has been closed for Labor Day. But it's still a fine time to think about what work means to you.

No, he explained patiently, he wanted to be Laurence Olivier.

09/05/2023

As in past years, the office is closed for the Labor Day holiday. But it's still a fine time to think about work--the meaning of it.

No, he explained patiently, he wanted to be Laurence Olivier.

09/05/2022

The office is closed for the Labor Day holiday, but here's a favorite story from our archives. Enjoy.

No, he explained patiently, he wanted to be Laurence Olivier.